We are back on the floral track this week the Common Pagoda or Rooistompie in Afrikaans. We have just a handful of these flowering on the mountain at the moment and they make a spectacular display, so full of colour and full of life. The Sugar and Sunbirds are going crazy for these flowers at the moment. Now the Mimetes are commonly referred to as the Cowl Pagodas, and are easily identified apart from other Proteas due to their unique flower and leaf shape. They are some of the most fascinating plant types and the variation between regional colour is amazing.
What sets the Rooistompie apart from other Mimetes is that is the only species in the family to resprout after a fire, every other species of Mimetes will germinate from seed after a fire. And due to the fire we had about two years ago on this section of the mountain, this particular stand of Pagodas is looking stunning. We are experiencing a darker red colour in the flowers this season, the reasons are unbeknown to me.
And then trawling through the medicinal or commercial uses of the plants reveals that the bark was used for tanning and the flowers mainly for the cutflower industry.
For more info on this fascinating species of the Protea family please visit Plantzafrica for more info
Hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of Fynbos Friday and have a great weekend.
